Archives For Workshop

During the last two weeks of exploring the remote coastline of Chukotka and Kamchatka with Silversea, I have been running photography workshops and giving my fellow explorers an insight into the documentaries we have shot over recent years. One of the best things about these trips are the other travelers you meet. Amongst the many new friends I connected with were Ralph Grizzle and his son Alex. Ralph runs a very popular blog, Avid Cruiser, followed by a huge readership from around the world. He and his son had the mission of shooting a series of shoot films while on board the Silversea Discoverer that would review the trip and share the many adventures we experienced. They very generously and offered to feature me in these videos, in particular, the visits to meet the native peoples that live along this remote coastline.

As readers will know, one of the highlights for me was visiting the native villages. (Tymlat was featured in a recent post from the ship). In both villages I had the pleasure of taking Alex with me as I shot, along the way teaching him some of the tricks of the trade. Here is the short video they produced. In the coming days I will post a gallery of the images from the villages of Lorino and also Teller.

Previously I have been lucky enough to explore the eastern side of the Bering Straits and looked out at the Russian side, wondering what secrets were hidden away along that coastline. I am now heading to that region, via Nome Alaska, for a photo expedition with Silversea. The trip promises visits to native villages, old Russian outposts dating back to the Cold War, as well as spectacular bird nesting colonies, walrus haul-outs and whales.

Posting from the field may be challenging but I will do my best to upload photos and stories along the way, but if things go quiet for a couple of weeks, you will know where I am…

After leaving Nome, our first stop will be Provideniya, which looks like it will be reminiscent of Barentsburg in my old stomping ground of Svalbard…. A piece of old Soviet Russia. I am sure we will be met with a serving of black bread and vodka. Many of the city’s residents are native Yupik people, many of whom have relatives across the Bering on the US side. Despite the short geographical distance, these people hardly ever get to meet thanks to the political divide between Russia and the US. Its a great privilege for us to be able to make this trip and see a part of the world where few people get to travel.

Here are a few iPhone shots from my last trip to the Bering region. Its a rugged place but home to some talented artists… it was also great to see the Amundsen statue in Nome, having just seen an identical copy in Tromso, Norway, commemorating his sailing of the famed North West Passage.

The first two weeks of August are going to be a real adventure. I will be fortunate enough to being joining expedition company Silversea on a voyage from Nome and Alaska and then explore the Russian west side of the Bering Straits. Stayed tuned for updates.

Two highly immersive photo expedition cruises

Embark on a voyage that takes you well off the beaten path, to destinations that will excite your imagination like no other. Your Silversea Expedition to the Russian Far East or New Zealand will inspire your sense of adventure, introducing you to mesmerizing landscapes and charming coastal villages alike. You’ll encounter wild animals, exotic flora and fauna, and fascinating cultures.

The experiences you’ll have on your voyage aboard Silver Discoverer will create a lifetime of memories—one that you’ll undoubtedly want to immortalize on film. And having an award-winning photographer help you capture these unique moments can make the difference between a good picture and a great one. So join us on one of these two highly immersive Photo Expedition Cruises with professional photographer and expeditions specialist David Wright.

With more than 25 years of professional experience that have won him Emmy, BAFTA and Chris Awards, David has worked with the BBC, National Geographic, and Discovery Channel. He’s covered a wide range of stories spanning natural history, adventure, and history, on BBC/Discovery’s Frozen Planet, National Geographic’s Untamed Americas and the BBC’s Natural World.David will provide you with tips that will help you compose the most visually striking photographs, and how to get the most of your camera’s settings to create an extraordinary image.

During the summer of 2013 we sailed from Trinidad to Buenos Aires on board the National Geographic Explorer. Named the “Epic South America” voyage, we explored seven different countries and traveled more than 6500 miles. Along the way we taught a digital story telling workshop….

Lindblad just posted a short video about the program. Stay tuned for 2014 date and locations

David Wright’s independent feature Blind Pass

FILMMAKER DAVID WRIGHT TRUSTS ANTON/BAUER TO POWER INDEPENDENT FEATURE FILM BLIND PASS

Chooses DIONIC 90 Batteries and Other Anton/Bauer Gear for First
Turn as Director of Photography

SHELTON, CT, JULY 30, 2013-After spending several years as an award-winning documentary filmmaker, David Wright recently took on the role of director of photography for Blind Pass, a new independent feature film. Shooting primarily in Ireland with additional scenes filmed on location in Florida, Wright faced unpredictable weather and a rigorous daily production schedule. To help him maintain power throughout each shoot, he chose a variety of portable power solutions from Anton/Bauer®, part of Vitec Videocom, a Vitec Group company and a premier global provider of batteries, chargers, lighting and other mobile power systems for the professional broadcast, video, film and healthcare technology industries, to help keep him powered up through the long 16 hour, tough days of shooting.The dark thriller Blind Pass follows Carrie, a young woman facing the fact that she will soon go blind. She and her therapist travel through Ireland to fulfil her wish of experiencing the country while she still has sight. The story also explores Carrie’s troubled relationship with her father, played by award-winning actor Armand Assante. In order to deliver high quality imagery on such a tight budget and without the funds for expensive grip and lighting packages to complement the RED MX camera selected for the project, economy of scale was needed. As a solution, Wright turned to the trusted, go-to gear he had employed for his documentaries, which included several Anton/Bauer DIONIC® 90 batteries, various Gold Mount® solutions, a TWQ charger and a back-up Tandem 150 charger.

For U.S.-based Wright, a major challenge was powering all of the equipment while overseas in Ireland. The schedule was made up of 16-hour days, often taking place at three different locations a day.

I am often guilty of taking way too much camera equipment on trips and not only does that create problems when traveling, but it can get in the way of taking photographs…. The very thing I am trying to do. My iPhone has done a lot to change that, as I always have it with me, and consequently, it is the camera I have most available. While I love the shots I get from the phone, I crave for more control of the images I am creating. App’s have gone a long way to help in this respect, but the iPhone lens is also a major hurdle in creating photographs. While jpg compression is OK for photos for social media sites, I also want to have the ability to shoot RAW images and be able to process them through Apple’s Aperture to give me the best results. The camera must also be pocket sized, so it can be kept readily available. Nikon have just released a new camera that fits the bill perfectly, the COOLPIX P7800.

The new camera offers great blend of design and technology, with the aim of capturing images of your next adventure that are of the best quality and yet easy to shoot. The camera combines an outstanding 7.1x Zoom NIKKOR ED Glass lens (angle of view equivalent to that of 28-200 mm lens in 35mm format) with an extra-large backside illuminated CMOS image sensor. This also means you can shoot Full HD 1080p videos with stereo sound. The accessories available for the camera also mean you can use a Nikon Speedlight, Wi-Fi® or GPS adapter.

In many ways the camera is very similar to its predecessor, the P7700, but with the addition of an electronic viewfinder. What is does offer in comparison to its main competitors is great manual controls and an articulated LCD screen, great for street photography or shooting low/high angles where looking through the viewfinder is a challenge. I would recommend this camera who needs a compact camera for travel and adventure, but still wants to capture top quality images.